Pelosi ‘Pretty Confident’ China Not Overtaking U.S. Economy

WASHINGTON — House minority leader Nancy Pelosi dismissed a recent report that said China would overtake the U.S. as the world’s leading economy sooner than anticipated.

Pelosi was asked if Americans should be concerned about the International Comparison Program report, which compared the real cost of living instead of exchange rates and concluded that China could become the world’s largest economy this year.

“Americans can be very confident in the strength of our economy,” Pelosi told PJ Media on the red carpet of the Google/Netflix White House Correspondents Dinner pre-party. “The most productive workers in the world, the safest place to invest money, the freest people in the world so I feel pretty confident and the American people feel confident about our country. Enjoy the evening. Lighten up!”

Hardball host Chris Matthews of MSNBC also downplayed any worries over the report.

“Tell me when the GDP goes past us, then we’ll note that. I think they’re way ahead on this,” said Matthews. “They’re not going by the GDP. They’re going by some other number so I’m suspicious of that.”

Matthews said China’s economy is not anywhere near $17 trillion.

In response to the same report, Ronan Farrow, host of Ronan Farrow Daily on MSNBC, said, “It’s really important that America invest, invest, invest in its education and shore up our competitiveness for the next generation.”

Matthews also stood by his prediction that Republicans will take back control of the Senate in the midterm elections.

“A good night for the Democrats is losing 5 seats,” he said.

Travis Kalanick, CEO of the ridesharing company Uber, who also attended the event, addressed complaints from taxicab companies about his business.

“Those guys – nobody likes them but they paid off enough people to keep their gig going. We’ll see how long that goes,” he told PJ Media.

In most cities, Kalanick said Uber is 30 to 40 percent cheaper than a taxi. He said local governments would hurt the middle class if they decide to increase regulations on his company’s operations.

“If regulators want their middle-class and lower-middle class not to have a way to get around their city, then I get it but I don’t really get it,” said Kalanick.

“Who wants transportation for their constituents to get more expensive? I don’t know who wants that, but they’re maybe getting persuaded by the taxi industry and we need to make sure that they hear the other side of it so they understand what the impact would be if they do what they’re going to do,” he added.

At Saturday evening’s White House Correspondents dinner, Sen. John McCain and his daughter Meghan McCain walked the red carpet and discussed her new show, TakePartLive on Pivot.tv.

“I’m afraid that maybe on her show I’ll come in for some criticism,” said Sen. McCain.

“No, never, I can criticize a lot of things but I’m like, ‘except my Dad who I love very much’ and I just can’t do it, ever,” said Meghan McCain.

“Even when we disagree on things – our family – we all have different values and ideas and we never fight about it when we’re home,” she added.

“We have serious discussions. She’s of a different generation,” said Sen. McCain. “There’s issues like the whole role of gays in society and discrimination and many of those issues that are very serious, especially for her age group, and so frankly, it helps me to do my job to have the conservations we have.”